This disclosure concerns an invention relating generally to apparata for use in animal milking parlors, and more specifically to positioners for easily relocating milking apparata within milking parlors.
Within milking parlors, milk is typically collected from animals by apparata which will be referred to herein as xe2x80x9cmilking siphons.xe2x80x9d The milking siphon bears several teat cups which attach the animal""s teats, and lines leading to the teat cups apply vacuum to the teats to withdraw milk. Lines leading from the milking siphon transport the milk to a receptacle for collection and further processing.
In modern milking parlors, numerous stalls are provided to accommodate animals and provide spaces wherein they may be milked. If each stall is provided with its own milking siphon, this can incur significant cost and maintenance burdens, since each siphon will have its associated milk transport lines, pneumatic/electrical actuating mechanisms, and other such structure. Additionally, significant cleaning time is required to maintain the numerous milking siphons in a sanitary state. The use of individual milking siphons for each stall also gives rise to space problems, particularly in view of the large number of milk transport lines necessary to collect the milk and the desire to include as many milking stalls as possible within the milking parlor. The milking siphons must be maintained in an orderly and sanitary state for the sake of efficiency and easy maintenance, but this goal can be difficult to attain in view of the crowded state of most milking parlors and the unwieldy structure of most milking siphons, with their associated lines, teat cups, etc.
Owing to the foregoing concerns, numerous apparata have been developed to assist in the storage and use of milking siphons within milking parlors. One commonly used mechanism is a retractor, which mounts the milking siphon on a cable (or other link) which is in turn connected to a retraction mechanism such as a linear actuator (i.e., a pneumatic piston). The piston is extended when an animal is ready for milking, thereby situating the milking siphon adjacent to the animal, and the milking siphon is then connected to the animal""s teats. When the animal has been completely milkedxe2x80x94as may be detected by monitoring the pressure in the milk line leading from the milking siphonxe2x80x94the vacuum to the teats is halted so that the siphon drops off of the teats. The piston (or other retraction mechanism) then retracts to draw the milking siphon into a storage position. Examples of such apparata are given in U.S. Pat. No. 3,929,103 to Schluckbier and U.S. Pat. No. 3,931,794 to Chillingworth.
Other apparata have also been provided for easy relocation of milking siphons, and which also provide a support function so that a milking siphon may be more easily suspended off the ground and positioned in a variety of locations. These apparata are often provided as bars or articulated arms which maintain the milking siphon in a stored position outside a milking stall before an animal is placed therein, and which may then be extended into the stall after the animal has entered. The aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,929,103 to Schluckbier illustrates an articulated arm used for this purpose (in combination with the aforementioned retractor mechanism), as does U.S. Pat. No. 3,938,470 to Pace.
Such apparata are useful, but tend to be complex, and thus more difficult to clean and maintain. There is therefore a need for milking siphon positioners for use within milking parlors which are easily cleaned and repaired, simple to install and operate, and which may allow positioning of milking siphons between different stalls if desired so as to allow a single milking siphon to be used in multiple locations, thereby decreasing costs and occupied space.
The invention, which is defined by the claims set out at the end of this disclosure, is directed to a milking siphon positioner wherein a swing arm is pivotally mounted within a bearing. The swing arm may swing in a swing arc defined in a plane which is at least substantially vertical. A milking siphon suitable for attachment to an animal""s teats is carried on the swing arm so that it may be repositioned by the swing arm; for example, the swing arm may reposition the milking siphon to milking platforms situated on opposite sides of an aisle within a milking parlor, as in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings. Locking means are provided which can selectively affix the swing arm with respect to the bearing, thereby allowing the swing arm to be affixed at selected angles in the swing arc (for example, in the positions shown in FIGS. 1 and 2). A preferred form of locking means is a locking wing extending downwardly from the bearing parallel to the plane of the swing arc, and having locking apertures defined in its body. A locking member is then mounted on the swing arm, and is selectively movable to engage one of the locking apertures in the locking wing and thereby restrain the swing arm from rotating with respect to the bearing. The locking member is preferably spring-biased so that it will normally tend to engage a locking aperture in the locking wing when it is situated adjacent to a locking aperture. Therefore, a user can simply actuate the locking member to release the swing arm with respect to the bearing, and can then freely swing the swing arm (and reposition the milking siphon) until the locking member encounters another locking aperture. When this occurs, the locking member will again automatically fix the swing arm with respect to the bearing.
The milking siphon is preferably affixed to the swing arm via a retractor, e.g., a pneumatic cylinder which extends and retracts the milking siphon on the swing arm. Thus, the milking siphon can be retracted while the swing arm is in motion, and can be extended for use when the swing arm is locked in place on the bearing. Preferably, the milking siphon is attached to the retractor via a flexible extension arm, such as a cable or flexible beam, so that the milking siphon is repositionable at the end of the swing arm. It is convenient to mount the retractor to the swing arm by brackets which have apertures defined therein so that hoses, wires, and other such structures extending down the swing arm to the milking siphon may be stored within the apertures in the brackets.
The milking siphon positioner is particularly useful in milking parlors using an arrangement such as the one illustrated in FIGS. 1-2, wherein milking platforms for animals are situated on opposite sides of an aisle where milking personnel travel. The milking personnel can engage and disengage the locking member (or other locking means) to swing the swing arm and milking siphon from one milking platform to the other. A single milking siphon may therefore be used to serve multiple milking stalls, and it is easily repositioned out of a stall (or the aisle) when desired.
Further advantages, features, and objects of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the invention in conjunction with the associated drawings.